An ambulance service has launched an appeal to find a man who broke into one of its vehicles, which was parked up while paramedics were responding to an emergency.
The thief was caught on camera smashing one of the ambulance's windows and stealing staff’s belongings as they treated a patient in Northfield, Birmingham, on Sunday evening.
Security footage shows the suspect man the scene and checking the vehicle is unattended, before returning several minutes later.
Unable to prise his way into the locked ambulance, he smashes the driver's side window, grabbing several of the paramedics' personal items including an iPhone before making his getaway.
West Midlands Ambulance Service has made its footage of the theft from the vehicle’s external camera public in a bid to bring the perpetrator to justice.
“I cannot begin to understand why someone would do this to an emergency blue lighted vehicle which has the sole responsibility of helping people,” said Nathan Hudson, the service’s operations director. “It really does make you question the morals of some people.”
“This despicable crime has meant an ambulance is off the road and unable to respond to 999 calls whilst it’s being repaired; money which would’ve been better spent elsewhere in the service to help respond to patients.
“It is unacceptable that ambulance staff, who are there to help people in their hour of need, are made to suffer by members of the public.
“Any type of attack against our staff and our vehicles will not be tolerated. I am just thankful that, on this occasion, my staff weren’t hurt. If you are able to help to solve this crime, please come forward.”
The incident is the latest in which the ambulance service has seen one of its vehicles broken into this year.
In August, medical equipment and personal belongings were stolen when a thief broke into a locked ambulance while crews were responding to an early-morning call in Stoke-on-Trent.
Anyone with information on the incident is asked to contact West Midlands Police on 101 or Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111, quoting crime number: 20BW-249810Q/18.
